The Victory Square Block party is an all-day party for hundreds of Vancouver music fans that want to mark the unofficial end to the summer as memorably as possible. Some might interpret the event as bittersweet as it falls on the Sunday before Labour Day, which is generally the day before students go back to school. However, the day’s itinerary is so stellar that you quickly forget this might be the last hoorah before it’s back to the books and cooler seasons.

Here are five things you can expect from this annual Vancouver tradition.

5. Expect to get comfy cozy.Crowds sprawl out on the grassy hill around the epitaph at Cambie and Hasting and generally don’t move (except to dance) for the whole afternoon. It’s like one giant communal laze-fest. It’s also an optimal way to maximize the last moments of summertime freedom.

4. Expect to laugh.The afternoon is hosted by Ryan Beil, a Jessie-award winning local actor who you might recognize from Bard on the Beach, (recent Canadian Comedy Award-wining) The Sunday Service and those A&W commercials.

3. Expect to dance.The musical line-up includes nine much-admired local bands and djs. Plus, there’s enough of a musical mix to appeal to every taste: From Too High Crew, the high energy, goofy performance-art hip hop collective, lead by punk veteran Ryan Walter Wagner to the gospel garage soul collective, The Ballantynes.

2. Expect to maybe get wet.The automatic sprinkles have been known to go off in the past in the middle of the festivities – but it’s all part of the tradition, and fun. Kind of like if you mix a water park with an outdoor festival. Every year is hit or miss, so there’s always a bit of “will they or won’t they” to keep you on your toes. Or feet. Your dancing feet, to be precise.

1. Expect not to spend too much.Did we mention the whole event is free? And it happens this Sunday, September 2, from 2 pm – 9 pm, at Victory Square at the corner of Pender and Cambie.

Neighbourhoods

Social Subscribe

Host City

Inside Vancouver is a multi-author blog, written by Vancouverites about Vancouver. Our goal is to give an insider’s view of Vancouver, to provide information, stories and opinions from the locals’ perspective about this great city.